Senate GOP: 8 Dems Prepare To Abandon Ship (Updated)

The Senate Republicans are growing increasingly confident about their chances of holding the majority this fall, despite the fact that this is a presidential election year in an overwhelmingly Democratic state and the intrigue over that Gov. Andrew Cuomo will ultimately do about their incredibly gerrymandered maps.

The Republicans sent their supporters an email yesterday with subject line: “Eight Senate Dems Prepare to Abandon Ship!”

“We’ve seen that the fast-fading hopes of Senate Democrats to retake the Legislature’s Upper House has led a number of their high-paid political consultants to head for the lifeboats,” the email reads. “Now, realization of their bleak chances has some of their own members eyeing the exits.”

“At least eight Democrat senators – maybe more – are looking to abandon ship either by retiring or seeking a new office. That’s nearly a third of their entire caucus! And the list includes some of the most senior Democrats in the Legislature.”

– Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who has only been in the Senate since 2010, replacing former Senator-turned-AG Eric Schneiderman, is planning to run for the new Latino congressional district widely expected to be created by LATFOR in Upper Manhattan.

– Sen. Jose Peralta, who was drawn by the Republicans into a potential primary battle with his fellow Queens Democrat, Sen. Mike Gianaris, has been mentioned as a potential Queens borough president candidate in 2013.

– Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer announced she’ll retire at the end of the year rather that seek re-election. (Senate Democratic insiders have insisted this is actually a positive turn of events for them, noting Oppenheimer came close to being ousted by Republican Bob Cohen last year, so her departure gives them an opportunity to seek a stronger candidate, most likely Assemblyman George Latimer. The Democrats’ efforts in the 37th SD could be hampered by the GOP’s efforts to make the district more Republican by adding Eastchester back to it).

The GOP also includes two longshot-to-impossible departures from the Senate: Liz Krueger, whom Cindy Adams floated as a NYC mayoral contender (the Upper East Side lawmaker has said she’s not running), and DSCC Chairman Gianaris, who has declined to use his own considerable funds to pay off the campaign committee’s $1.7 million worth of debt left over from the 2010 election cycle.

UPDATE: Krueger sent the following statement through her spokesman: “I’d like to thank the Senate Republicans for giving me a good laugh, and reassure them that they are not that lucky.”